Snap fastener



Patented Feb. 19, 1924 UNITED STATES T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HoL'r,

a citizen of the United States,- residing at Providence, in the countyof Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Snap Fasteners, of which the followin'gis aspecification.

This invention relates to snap fasteners of the class adapted for heavywork, such for instance as on automobile curtains, rubber coats, leathergoods and the like, and the object of this invention is 'to improve andsimplify such a construction of fastener in which a lockingjawis mountedand is adapted to be manually operated to release the fastener withoutapplying force to disconnect it from its post there by preventingtearing of the goods to which the fastener is attached. 7

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certainnovel features of construction, as will be more fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a planview of my improvedfastener with the top of the casing removed showing the operatingmechanism mounted on the lower plate.

Figure 2 is a sectional side elevation of the top member of the casingshowing the bendable attaching fingers.

Figure 3 is a sectional side elevation on line 33 of Figure 2 showingthe bottom member of the casing with the lugs raised from its stock.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the jaw member of my improvedfastener.

Figure 5 is a central sectional elevation showing my improved fasteneras mounted on a heavy piece of goods and connected to a retaining postor stud member.

It is found in practice that where the ordinary snap fastener of thischaracter is employed on heavy work, such as on automobile curtains andthe like which must. be pulled to release the fastener from its studmember, that the spring, which must necessarily be rather heavy on thistype of fastener, is usually so stifi' that in order to release thefastener by pulling, the goods to which the fastener is attached areoften torn. To obviate this difficulty I have pro- SNAP ras rnnnn. ,7 vj l 1171-.

WILLIAM H. HOLT, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

Application filed December 27, 1921. Serial No. 525,095.

vided an improved form of fastener with a laterally movable releasingjaw adapted to be manually operated to release the fastener from thestud member thereby permitting the fastener to be removed from the studwithout pulling or straining the material to which it is attached, andthe following is a detailed description of" one construction of fastenerby which thisresult may' be accomplished With reference to the drawings,10' designates the bottom plate of the casing on which the operatingmechanism is mount- I have also cut from the stock and bent upwardly, anoperating handle member 16 and in cutting this handle member from thestock at the rear of the jaw, I have formed a recess 17 therein for thereception of the looped portion 18 of the operating bow spring 19. j 1

On thi base plate 10 I have also cut and raised a pair of lugs 20 whichengage the opposite outer ends' of this bow spring,.to cause it to exerta closing tension on the jaw member 14. By forming a loop in this springand causing it to extend into the recess 17 in the rear of the-jawmember this spring is held against a relativeendways movement and isfree without other fastening to act against the jaw member to carry itback into engaging position after having been pressed outwardlytherefrom.

The upper member 21 of this casing is formed somewhat cup-shape to setover and inclose the operating mechanism and is provided in its upperwall with a slot 22 through which the operatinghandle 16 of the jawextends and which cooperates with the guide lugs 12 to guide themovement of the jaw to and from operating position. i

This upper casing is provided on its edges with a plurality ofcomparatively short fingers 23 which are adapted to extend through theslots 24: in the bottom plate and be clinched thereunder to bind the topand bottom members of the fastener casing together.

This upper casing member is also provided with a plurality of longerfingers 25 which are adapted to extend through the slots 26 in thebottom plate, and also through the fabric 27. to be clinched as at 28beneath the bottom washer 29.

On the outer end of the operating handle 16 I preferably mount a roundheaded cap 30 which is easy to be engaged by the thumb or finger towithdraw the jaw and which also. prevents catching of the adjacent partson the handle.

My improved snap fastener is'constructed to be attached to the groovedend 31 of a stud member 32, the same being of suitable size to passthrough the central opening into the casing and the groove in the studbeing shaped to'receive the jaw 14 of the fastener wherebv the fasteneris securely locked thereto.

Such a 'studmay be secured to the base 33 byaanv desired means but Ihave shown a screw post Men the end of the stud by which it maybesecured in position to the base.

My improved snap fastener is extremely simple and practical inconstruction [and effective in its operation and by its use a curtain orothermember to which it is fastened may be released from the stud on theadjacent member, by simply moving the operating handle-ofthe jawoutwardly or from'the groove in the stud thereby completely releasingthe fastener without the necessity of pulling, tearing or ripping thegoods on which it is mounted which is or dinarilv the case where amanually operable releasing jaw is not employed.

The foregoing description is directed solely towards the constructionillustrated, but I desire it to'be understood that I reserve theprivilege of resorting to all the mechanical changesto which'the deviceis susceptible, the invention being defined lim- I claim:

1. A snap fastener comprising a circular casing, a gripping jaw in saidcasing bodily slidable radially to and from operating position, anoperating handle extending through a guide slot in the top wall of saidcasing, integral guide lugs raised from the stock of said casingarranged to cooperate with said handle in its guide slot for guiding themovement of said jaw and limiting the extent of its inward stroke, and aspring acting to return the after it has been withdrawn from engagingposition.

2. A snap fastener comprising a casing, a laterally-slidable grippingjaw in said casing, an operating handle on said jaw ex tending throughsaid casing, guides for said jaw insaid casing arranged to also limitthe movement of said jaw towards gripping position, a spring actingbetween said jaw and casing to return the jaw after it has.

been withdrawn from engaging position, and means in said jaw forengaging and preventing a relative endways movement of said spring. 7

3. A snap fastener comprising acasing, a laterally-slidable gripping jawin said casing, an operating handle on said aw extending through the topof said casing,

guides in said casing for limiting the move ment of said jaw, said jawbeing provided with a recess in its outer edgecanda bowspring having acentral offset loop entering said recess to position the spring andprevent relative endways movementthereof.

4. A snap fastener comprising a separable casing, a laterally-slidablegripping jaw in said casing and having "an operatinghan- 'dle extendingthrough a guide 'slot in the top wall of said casing, guide lugs in saidcasing arranged to cooperate with said handle in its guide slot forcontrollingaand limiting the movement of said jaw, said jaw beingprovided with a recess in its outer edge. and a bow springfor closingsaidjaw and having a central offset loop entering said recess toposition the spring and prevent relative endwavs movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. I I I WILLIAM H. .HOLT.

